Regulating Content in Broadcasting, Media and the Internet: A Case Study on Public Understanding of their Role on Self-Regulation
Dr. Siti Zabedah Mohd Shariff, Rohayu Kosmin

Abstract
Self regulation has become increasingly important in Malaysia because the government is no longer feasible to play a watchdog role. The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission Act 1998 (CMA) is put charge of overseeing the new regulatory framework to accommodate the convergence of telecommunications, broadcasting and on-line activities. Replacing the Broadcasting Act, CMA which encourages industry and public self-regulation establishes an industry forum as a dynamic tool for the industry to formulate and implement voluntary codes of rules. Thirteen years past and self-regulation is seen a preferred alternative to government regulation on the control of content. However, no affirmative information or description of self-regulation seemed forthcoming especially for the public to understand it. Questions arise on how do the public play a role in the self-regulation processes especially in regulating TV programmes and the media content as a way to control their children on what to see and what not to see. Why is there a need for the self-regulation on TV programmes and the media? How to self-regulate? This study therefore attempts to seek the public’s understanding of self–regulation particularly in regulating content whether in broadcasting areas or in other media or the Internet, if there is, as self-regulation is an internal or transactional process that enables individuals to guide their goal-directed activities overtime and across changing circumstances. The findings of the study indicate that there is a need to identify adequately the role played by the content code particularly on the public responsibility of self-regulation because it is responsible as a set of industry guidelines in dealing on the usage and dissemination of content for public consumption.

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